Tilting back rest for bed



July 29, 1958 w. a. LEVY 2,844,829

v TILTING BACK REST FOR BED Filed March 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 V 4.? WWW y 1958 w. G. LEVY v 2,844,829

TILTING BACK REST FOR BED Filed March 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (O) 47/ w) M N M (5 (HQ [If United States Patent 7 The present invention relates to improvements in a backrest for a bed, and more particularly to an improved reclining cushion disposed at the head of the bed for adjustment to any desired angle.

It is an object of the invention tosprovide a back rest -for;:a:b ed. in the form of a reclining support cushion which may be stored in a vertical position serving as aheadboard for the bed, and is readily swung or tilted outwardly to provide a reclining support which moves up and down with the mattress under the weight of the individual occupying the bed and without any change in the reclining angle of the cushion.

The several features of the invention and advantages to be obtained thereby will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bed and headboard with two reclining cushions illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken on section line 2-2 of Fig. 1 illustrating a reclining cushion in its vertical stored position mounted upon and forming part of the headboard of a bed;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating one section of the headboard shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and illustrating particularly two vertically disposed hinge supporting slide rods and the rests on which the reclining cushion is stored;

Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of the reclining cushion and the two hinges secured thereto;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation illustrating the bed and headboard secured to and forming part of the bed;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view in side elevation of a reclining back rest which may, for example, be that shown in Fig. 5 and illustrates a second embodiment of the invention having screw eyelet hinges and a modified form of rest on which the reclining support cushion is stored;

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional plan view taken on a line 77 of Fig. 6 illustrating particularly the arrangement of the screw eyelet hinge shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a bed having the bed back rest mounted on a headboard stand separate from the bed;

Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view taken on a line 9-9 of Fig. 8 and with the central portion thereof broken away to illustrate a modified form of slide support and hinge for the reclining position; and,

Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view in front elevation of the headboard stand with a vertically movable slide and hinge mounted thereon.

The adjustable back rest for a bed which forms the subject matter of the present invention consists of a reclining support cushion having a rigidly constructed frame and a padded face which is mounted for tilting movement 4 outwardly from its upper edge on a hinge which is in turn mounted from a headboard for the bed on guides to slide freely up and down. The reclining cushion is stored in Patented July 29, 1-958 a vertical position on the back board resting on a support provided. for this purpose.

Referring specifically to the drawings, a bed is shown at 20 provided with a headboard 22 which in this embodiment of the invention is separably supported by screws 24 (Fig. 2-) from an abutting wall 26 of the room. The headboard 22 is'in the form of a rectangular frame having mounted thereon two adjustable reclining back rests constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention.

.As bestshown in Figs. 2 and 4, each back rest comprises a cushion 28 having a rectangular rigidly formed. frame 30 andapadded face 32. Two hinges 34 are secured to the upper edge of the back rest frame 30 adjacent opposite sides thereof. The rear leafof each hinge is formed with an offset portion 36 perforated to receive two guide rods 38 mounted in a vertical parallel relation on the headboardj22. The hinges 34 are freely slideable on the guide rods 38;

The back rest comprising the cushion 28 isstored when not in use in a vertical position with the lower edge thereof resting-on two supporting ledges 40 secured-to the face 'of the headboard 22. In this position the back rest forms an integral decorative part of the headboard of the bed. When in use the back rest is disengaged from its ledge supports 40, tilted forwardly to the desired angle of inclination and allowed to slide downwardly on the guide rods 38 until the lower edge of the cushion 28 rests against the surface of the bed 20. The position of use thus arrived at may, for example, be that indicated in Fig. 2 in dot and dash lines. The fact that the cushion 28 is supported at its upper edge to slide vertically insures that the cushion will maintain its set angle position as the surface of the bed is moved upwardly or down by the weight of the occupant thereon. The weight of the occupant against the cushion includes a downward component which causes the cushion to make for itself a depression or crease in the yielding surface of the bed mattress to prevent slippage. Much of the lateral component of weight is taken by the hinges 34.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate a modified form of the invention in which the headboard 22 is directly secured to supporting posts 44 forming an integral part of the bed.

Figs. 6 and 7 particularly illustrate a modified form of hinge consisting of a pair of screw eyelets 46 which are driven into the upper portion of the cushion frame 30 at a downwardly extending angle. The screw eyelets are collared on the guide rods 38 having a loose sliding fit therewith, the screw eyelets being mounted on the cushion frame at such an angle and being suificiently larger than the guide rods so that the screw eyelet will not only slide on the rod but will also act as a hinge. In this form of the device, as best shown in Fig. 6, the cushion 28 is supported in its vertical inoperative position on a ledge which takes the form of an upwardly slanting plate 50 secured to the lower limb of the back board 32 and arranged to engage with a laterally extending bar 52 secured to the back of the cushion and having a V-shaped bottom edge cooperating with the slanting surface of the ledge 50 to lock the cushion yieldingly in the vertical inoperative position shown in Fig. 6.

Figs. 8, 9, and 10 of the drawings illustrate still another embodiment of the invention in which the back rest takes the form of a movable stand 54 which is positioned at the head of the bed 20 and which in this position acts as an adjustable headboard in the manner above described.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate more particularly another form of hinge and slide for the back rest which includes a hinge-carrying slide 56 having the outer edges thereon grooved to fit into corresponding slide grooves 57 formed in the inner edges of the vertical ends of the back board here designated at 58. The slide 56 is freely movable vertically in the back board 58 and has secured thereto two hinges 60 which are in turn secured to the upper edge of the cushion 28. In the form of the device shown in Fig. 10 the cushion is supported in its vertical inoperative position on a centrally located ledge 62.

My reclining back rest has the particular advantages above set forth in that it will maintain its preset position of angle for all conditions of use, the weight of the occupant causing the cushion to make for itself a depression or crease in the bed to prevent slippage, and the entire cushion being free to slide up or down with the surface of the bed as the occupant shifts his weight. A further advantage consists in the fact that the back rest may be readily shifted to an out-of-the-way vertical storage position in which the cushion may form a decorative element of the headboard, and will not interfere with the ordinary use of the bed.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

A bed back rest which comprises a vertically disposed headboard for the bed, a pair of vertically disposed guide rods mounted on the headboard, a cushion having a rigidly constructed frame and a body supporting face covering and concealing said rods, a pair of rearwardly extending upwardly tilted eyelets secured to the upper portion of said cushion frame, said eyelets receiving said rods and permitting tilting the cushion forwardly over the bed and sliding movement thereof on said pair of rods,

said cushion and eyelets being constructed and arranged to permit the cushion in said tilted position to be supported by the bed, a horizontal bar mounted on the rear of said frame below said eyelets, said bar having an angled bottom surface, and a support on the headboard cooperating with said bar to support the cushion in a vertically disposed storage position, said support comprising a ledge having an angled upper surface adapted to engage and interlock with the aforementioned surface of said bar to retain said cushion in its said storage position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,245,121 Abresch June 10, 1941 2,572,469 Gimmler Oct. 23, 1951 2,709,817 Poyer June 7, 1955 2,724,127 Trivas et al Nov. 22, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 435,886 Great Britain Oct. 1, 1935 440,679 Great Britain Jan. 3, 1936 511,866 Great Britain Aug. 25, 1939 

